Books, Books, Wonderful Books

My mum was kind enough to purchase me some books this week and they arrived yesterday.

The main, fabulous three, are Stitch Magic, Surfaces for Stitch and The Art of Manipulating Fabric. Stitch Magic is all about new ways to interpret trad embroidery stitches, and incorporate them with interesting surfaces,
Surfaces for stitch is about using unconventional surfaces to stitch on and the Art of Manipulating Fabric is a how to on just about any fabric manipulation method you can think of and several I didn't know about!

If no one sees me for a few days I'm curled up somewhere with a cup of chai, a notebook and my books. I really should have been a researcher!

Next on my wish list are Felt to Stitch, Creative Recycling in Embroidery and Three Dimensional Embroidery.

Tags: books

Doll 1

Here are a couple of photos of my first art doll! She's not got any clothes yet but isn't she lovely!
She's not as successful as the one in the book but she is only my first attempt!

p.s. They are cropped quite tight so you can't see the messy shelves they are on!

Photo Heavy Post - Things I've been making

This is the padfolio I made for Carol T. She wanted black and red and thats what she got! Its my first go at satin stitching on the machine! I stamped the fabric (a recycled cotton shirt) with embossing ink and then very carefully headed it so it didn't sink in.

Here it is closed. The closure is silk ribbon.

This is my doorway project. Its coming along. It just needs the door itself and the leaves I'm going to have curling up one side of it.

I've been working on some beaded faces/brooches. The top set are fully beaded and the lower set are half done.

These are some felt brooches I've been working on. They are concentric circles of felt stitched on top of one another.

This is my first every rather straggly piece of needlelace. My great aunt sent me a book on it after I asked her to teach me.
This is a, well, I suppose its sort of canvas work piece I'm making for the flat (and therefore isn't high up on the priorities list!). Its in all different shades of blue and is going to look lovely when I've finished it.

This is what I did with most of the inchies I recieved! Doesn't it look nice? I've ,mounted them onto a box canvas I'd painted silver with acylics.

This little selection is the start of my current project. You shall have to wait and see what it turns into.

This is something I've been working on. Its a wonderful piece of slub silk that has a whole range of bluey greens in it, and I've picked those colours out with my threads. I may just frame this piece!


This is how far I've got with my doll. I ran out of stuffing so she's still at the stage she was a couple of weeks ago. Luckily I have some more stuffing now so shall get her finished in the next week or so.


Shall try and post more often now; especially so I can update you on all theses UFO's and WISP's!

And she returns!

Well, finally after several weeks absence due to concussion, getting back to work, the continued headaches from the concussion(have seen the doc and its normal apparently), and trying to make some stuff to sell so I can afford to take classes, I've completly failed to blog.

Its been a very odd few weeks. I've had so many ideas about things to make, but the actual wherewithall to make them seems to be escaping me. I'll still fuzzyheaded from the knock which isn't helping!

I've got several ideas in my head, though the primary ones are intended for sale and therefore I am having to think outside of my comfort zone. Shall have photos for you in the next day or so!

Concussion

Apologies my dear friends for not having posted much recently.

Nearly a fortnight ago, I suffered a serious concussion ( I stood up into the edge of a kitchen cabinet at work) and haven't been able to be on the computer since.

Will be trying to update much more frequently now.

Wow!

I've been plotting for some time now to find a way to be a 'proper' textile artist instead of just someone who makes stuff out of fabric that her friends like and plead with her till she gives them them...

I've known what course I want to do for some time (this one, here) and I've been frantically trying to find ways of funding it. This morning I went to future prospects and used there fundafinder database which has pointed me towards some charitable trusts that might be able to help. So, I get to spend the next couple of months filling in application forms!

I picked up some stationary stuff i needed and some sweets off the market stall that has sweets in jars that you buy by the 100g - god i miss those sweet shops and popped into the local art gallery to see the new show that was on. I haven't been in in a while as I've been rather busy but I was surprised with the reaction I got!

"Hey!Where you been? We haven't seen you months!Is everything ok?I thought you were going to bring some stuff in."
Last time I had been there it had been mentioned in passing that I might like to bring some of my work in. I never for the life of me thought they were being anything but polite! I'm to take some stuff in at the beginning of august!

That gives me a month to get some stuff made!

Where inspiration can lead!

Apologies for my extended absence. After spending a day feeling virtuous looking after my beloved while he was feeling unwell, I then came down with a severe cold. Unfortunatly this was masking a bad middle ear infection in my right ear thats been causing me problems for the last week. Answering the phone at work has been especially painful.

My beloved made sure I got a copy of Stitch when it came out, especially as I haven't been at my most cheerful for the last week or so!

And now, I will explain why why me and Stitching magazines are not a good idea....

The current issue of Stitch has a feature on this amazing doll artist called Patti Medaris Culua and she makes amazing dolls like these.

Ever since reading this article I have been obsessing, and I mean OBSESSING about making fabric dolls....I don't have half the materials I need but I'm already trying to make one.
Hers are astounding and I really wish I could make dolls like hers!
She sells patterns and I hope to buy some at some point soon. I really want to make The Goblin Princess, Olivia and the Tea Time Fairy! Though I think I will need to be at a higher level of skill before I can make those!

She also has a book called creative cloth doll making that I will buy as soon as I can afford it unless someoness feeling especially generous?!

Anyway, I'm currently in the process of making this doll - a freebie pattern on a site I found.

So, early in the week I cut her out, then hand stitched all the body parts. And have discovered machine stitching might have been a better idea...you have to do pretty strong hand stitching to withstand being stuffed.

By midweek I have a doll, who although having very shapely limbs, has a slight problem of looking rather feathery along her seams. I contemplated abandoning her and starting again but after all the work I'd already done I put her down for the evening and went away to think about it.

I came to the conclusion that I would have to stitch around the seams externally making a ridged seam along all the seams. Not perfect but am actually starting to really like the effect! I'll get her put together in the next day or so and then hopefully show her to you on monday....she might even have some clothes and wings by then!

Now.....Why is it so bloody hard to find instructions for making freeform needlelace?!

I promise...

A good sized post soon. Have a bad ear infection which is keeping me away from the computer at the moment!

Crafting with words

I haven't done much textile crafts this week as I've suddenly really got back into my creative writing groove, which I'd slipped out of for several years and it was actually starting to get to me! I had visions of being a writer when I kid and I never really lost that....one day i might even get the courage to publish one of my stories on here.

On the textiles front, I have a biscournu half stitches, 2 handbags like the red one to make, and a padfolio to make as well....and I need to figure out how to do satin stitch on my very basic machine!

Photos soon! Enjoy the bank holiday weekend all!

My first biscournu

I was inspired by this lady at Garden of Stitches to make my first biscournu.
I found the pattern here and changed the colours slightly to suit me better.
The bottom I did with just some squares of stitching.
I used the instructions here on how to put it together!

I'm off to design my own now!

Inchies Photos

These all went in the post today!
Flame
Sand and Sea Glass
Maroon, Sage Green and Silver
Red.

Would you believe each one of these took me around an hour to embellish. Who would have thought something so tiny would take so long!

Busy few days

Well, I've had a busy few days recently.

Wednesday I started my new job - this one is a maternity leave job so its at least a 6 month contract.Its going well so far.

I finished my inchies - photos as soon as camera batteries are charged. I left the damn thing on again and its runs them dead.I need to get some jiffy bags tomorrow and will get them sent out tuesday afternoon hopefully - So I'll only be a day late on the deadline! Thats pretty good for me!

I've also made my first biscornu. Photos of that tomorrow too!

I've also realised the reason I'd hit a creative standstill with my door project is because I didn't like the way part of it was going, but I think I've found a way to remedy that...update you on that soon too!

Rejoined Sparkpeople

Ok, I fell off the diet wagon completly, so am clambouring back on the wagon again! I've resigned up to sparkpeople and start my diet again in earnest tomorrow!

Things are starting to move again

Well, I've started sewing again after my little slump....I'm still working on these inchies and have started doing some cross stitch for the biscornu I want to make..

Photos as soon as I remember where I 'tidied' the battery charger for my camera and have charged them.

Today I will carry on doing a bit of sewing and then I need to start gathering bits and pieces for the dayschool I am going to on saturday.

Thankyou.

Thankyou to all the people who have responded to my post I made yesterday, both in comments and in emails.

Everyone has been very kind and helpful and made suggestions as of how to break the back of 'artists block' and I will be doing my best to try and put some into practice ASAP.

I need to sort out the pieces I need for this upcoming class in the next day or so, so I can use that to sort through my stash and sort out the bits I don't need/won't use and bought in one of those 'Well, I _might_ make something out of it....' moments.

That should start the ball rolling and I may find something to inspire me.

I think I have too much stuff and its cluttering my brain as well as my work room.

So, after that I will start experimenting again. A couple of people mentioned that I should cut up pieces that didn't quite work the way I want them to and make something new with it...I think the main issue is that I don't really do experimenting..

I'm stuck in a post art college rut of having an end goal to a piece of work and not having had the room to experiment as I probably should have.

I would love to take some of the classes and buy some of the books people have mentioned but at the moment, for the most part, if I can afford the classes I can't afford the equipment, and with us needing things like a new (secondhand) sofa and some new pans I won't be doing anything along those lines soon.I am in the process of starting a savings account in view to doing my C&G some day but at the moment its all a bit of a pipedream. Hopefully I will get something sewing related for my birthday in september.

At the moment the thing that is bothering me the most is all the wonderful paint effects and FME I am seeing - My college only taught fine art acrylics and I only really learnt watercolours at home (and I never could get the depth into my paintings), and although I am doing well at loopy designs in FME I'm still learning when it comes to the more controlled approaches.
I've also got things like angelica, puff paint and tyvek fabric and sheet that I don't really know how to use. I really want do so some stuff like Suz has been doing with her dragons and fairies but know I don't have the metal or space!

Sara pointed out to me that everyone has times when we don't think our work is as good as everyone elses and that people don't see all the trial runs beforehand!

Val pointed out something so very true that it made me cry (which I think I needed to do anyway, and she shouldn't feel bad about it! ) -which was this "I think you are your own worst enemy. Stop beating yourself up - what have you done to deserve it?! Think positive young lady, and eliminate the negative."

I do this all the time. Its part of the ongoing battle with depression I have, and as usual I haven't noticed myself slipping into a depressive state again - this at the moment is also made a lot worse by the presence of the rollercoaster my hormones go on at this time of the month. I'm a lot better than I used to be but sometimes the negative thinking creeps back in and settles in before I can catch it.

I always expect far to much of myself and then take it very badly when things don't work out the way I wanted them too. Part of it was the fact I've been learning embroidery stitches for a year now and I want to actually make something finished.

Anyway I've made a list of things I need to finish:
My Inchies - These are half finished!
My Door Project

And a list of things I want to make, mainly for myself:
Purple bags for me and S.
A box for my ATC's to go in.
A running stitch bookmark like the one on Dy's blog.
A Pincushion because I need one.
A Biscournu because I've been fasinated by them for a long while now!
A Padfolio because they are interesting.
As an ongoing project i really need to crack on with some ATC's!

Anyway, I am going to go and make some toast and a cup of tea, watch Calamity Jane and do some sewing on my inchies. If i finish those I might start doodling about one of the projects I've noted up there.

I think I will buy lottery tickets this week in the hope I'll win enough for me to do some courses!

Thanks to everyone who emailed or commented here. As isolated as I am (thats another story)its nice to know people care!

Pottering along

I've having one of those duldrums periods again where I don't know what I'm doing, or where I am going with my stitching...

I have all these things I want to do and have completly lost confidence in myself. Stitches aren't turning out the way I want them too and I am always feeling that what I've made somehow isn't good enough.

I know I can be a perfectionist at times but I'm suffering from a lack of direction. This isn't helped by my missing my Embroidery Guild meeting yesterday because of stomach cramps. This hasn't helped my mental state at the moment either.

I've got all these wonderful materials like puff paint and angelica and tyvek and for the most part no idea what do with them, I've been experiementing with them but still don't know if its all going right or anything.

I joined my textilechallenges group to help get some direction to what I was doing but I'm still feeling a little out there on my own.

I've got a dayschool at Embroidery Guild on saturday which I'm looking forward to, so that should help but I still wish I knew how to do some of the amazing stuff people around me are doing. There are lots of courses and dayschools but till I'm getting paid regularly again, I can't justify it.

Part of this is I have lost confidence in my abilities again. This happens sporadically but I don't seem to be able to pull myself out of it at the moment. I don't seem to be able to get my normal inspiration from the things around me. Its starting to really get to me!

Hopefully I can get back on track soon but I just don't know where to start!

Look what I made!

As much as I love my oriental CQ bag I am aware using it every day isn't good for it, so I've spend the evening rustling up this.

It is made of a deep red cotton with a black polycotton lining, with a black cotton bias tape trim and a huge black button. (Its hung over my exercise bike if you are wondering what it is!)



Anyway, am off to bed now as it's gone midnight and I have to be up early in the morning!Just wanted to show this off!

Tidying...

We've got a friend coming to stay tonight which means the long overdue tidying and rearranging of the living room is finally happening....on my own. My beloved will be helping when he gets back from work - though he may be getting assigned to washing up and cooking duty this evening!

So far I have moved things into the workroom ( which will HAVE to be the next thing I sort out!), rearranged the contents of shelves, moved furniture made our table so we can actually sit at it and last but not least made a heap of stuff I have to now go and sort out. Then I can hoover, and tidy the last of the stuff away.

I'm having to gear myself up to go and deal with the pile of stuff as I know there is a big brown spider in the middle of it - luckily we don't have poisonous spiders over here, but its still very big and I dislike spiders nearly as much as I dislike crickets and grasshoppers!

Ah well, at least this will knock a task off my 101 tasks! 39. Decluttering the Living Room!

Then if I'm not COMPLETLY exhausted I may get on with the bag I am making myself. Do you want to see a photo of the living room when I am finished?!

What I've been doing....

Well, I'm officially in the gap between the end of one contract at work on the Friday just gone and the start of the longer term one in just over 3 weeks from now.
I've started the I.T. Qualification I'm taking (a CLAIT Diploma for anyone who is interested) and have already completed the first two modules, one being File Management and E Document Production (how to turn it on and write a letter.....) and the other being Creating Spreadsheets and Graphs. I've taken the assessment for these today so I will find out tomorrow how I've done.

Next I will be doing Database Manipulation, then Online Communication and Finally Web Page Creation.

You have to take the first module (File Management and E Document Production) but you get to choose the others. My boss chose the first 4 and I got to choose Web Page Creation for myself :)

Apart from that I've been researching a couple of things completely non-craft related.

There's a program I've been watching called Its Not Easy Being Green, which is mainly about self sufficiency and green energy. Its something I've always been aware of, especially as our neighbours. Jenny and Graham as I was growing up were for the most part self sufficient. They grew their own veg, and even produced their own tofu (which I still loathe). They were the first people I ever met who home schooled. Quite scarily their two kids Jack and Eve are now both married with kids and are younger than me!

Anyway, back to the point I was making - me and my fella have been watching this show and wondering what we could do, as we are in first floor rented accomadation.

Those of you who have been reading for a while will remember that we have a little roof terrace which is the access to the front door and last year I had plants out there...well, this year we are going to try and grow some veggies and herbs in pots on the roof terrace.

It appears to be the time of year for green related things. One one of the websites I visit DIY:happy had a post earlier in the week about Earth Day and celebrating it . I can't believe I didn't know about this!

Lolly at Lolly Knitting Around's post Everyday is inspiring - they have a wind turbine and everything!

And finally via Lolly Knitting Around I have discovered sew green (isn't it a wonderfully pun-tastic name?!). This blog is really interesting and so are these that I have found through it:
The Worstead Witch
She Turns Slowly

Anyway, the point is, I dream of having a more self sustaining lifestyle than is possible at the moment..

In other news, I'm still working on my doors project, I've updated my 101 tasks in 1001 days blog, am planning a project which involves making myself a new bag and have 2 of my 4 sets of inchies made as far as the bases.

Final Straw

I left one of my groups today. I'm not going to say which one but there were several reasons behind this including one persons pretty much making the group for her little clique, my being preached to on several occasions, and a couple of other things but the main one being that when I made a rare visit to the groups actual page at yahoo, the welcome message has been changed to include the phrase 'family friendly'.

I happen to have a piece of work planned that involves a naked female figure (yes, I am going to do a nude - it will NOT be a self portrait!) and was going to share it with that group but oh well. I had pulled back on my involvement with that group when some changes were made but this final straw just broke the camels back.

To the friends I have made there, I will miss you.x

100 tasks in 100 days.

I found a project people are doing in which you make a list of 101 things you want to do and you have a time limit of 1001 days.

I've decided to join in and you can find more details and my list at the blog I've set up for it, here.

Door progress

I was sitting around last night wondering what on earth I was going to do with the central panel of my door piece - I'd done several experiments, none of them successful and then a weird incident occurred which solved it!

I'd sat down on the edge of the bed whilst thinking about it and putting my slippers on and the card I made with fabric paper at the Xmas EG meeting happened to fall off the shelf and landed at my feet!


I then remembered the experiment pieces I'd done when trying to make fabric paper and went and pulled them out.

This is the piece I'm going to use.

And this is it behind the surround. What do you think? Does it look OK?

I'm going to stitch and embellish it and will keep you posted!

Some good news and FME

My current work contract is due to end on friday and it looked like it would be another slog around the agencies to find some more work, but I had applied for a job covering maternity leave at the place I am working and I got it! I'll be unemployed for three weeks but then not only do I have a definete 6 months at least of work but they are also going to pay for me to take an IT qualification!

My darning/FME foot arrived today and I've done my first decent FME!


Here it is! These are some inchies I've done for a swap I'm in. I did my own first due to the fact I wasn't used to it yet but I think they have come out quite well. I'm using some clear seal on the sides to stop them fraying. I'm yet to embellish them but I can see myself doing some ATC's this way! I'll be getting on with the others over the next few days.


They are backed with muslin which has made me realise I am coming to the point of using it to back everything!

Anyway, more photos as soon as I've worked some more on the inchies!

Door progress

Well, heres the progress on this project.

I've done all the french knots, cut and turned the central panel and stitched it in place and stitched some step details in. (Yes, I am currently sick of french knots but I adore the texture!)

I've thinking about having some ivy curling up one side of it. I took the shot below on good friday.


I'm going to have a door on it as well as the panel in the door way which I need to start on soon!
For the door I was thinking of using a piece of wood (shock announcement! a door made of wood you say?! *gasp* ) but it would have to be quite thin! I'm also thinking about how to fix it in place - for that part at least its back to the drawing board!

In other news, I've ordered a FME foot for my machine and when it arrives I can see if I can sort this darn tension issue out so I can make pretty things in less time!

Wowee!

I went to my EG meeting yesterday and it was a really good day! I got some work done on my door in the morning and in the afternoon we had a talk done by Kay Greenlees the author of Creating Sketchbooks for Embroiderers and Textile Artists.


This is the book my partner bought for me for xmas after I mentioned I really really really wanted it. If you are someone who wants to develop your work using sketchbooks then this is the book I really suggest buying!

The talk she did was brilliant.

The main points she seems to be wanting to get across are:
Your sketchbook is just that, YOURS. There is no right or wrong way to use it. Do what works for you. It is fine to go off on tangents - they often produce the most interesting pieces!

She said to Catch ideas when you have them - jot them down or do a little drawing- on a recipt, a paper napkin, anything you have on you, you can draw or write on.

Seriously, I cannot say more than go out and get the book if its the way you want to go with your work!

My favourite thing she told me - that I'm not the only one who starts the piece I want to do and then does sketchbook work to go with it ;)

The doorway to the WISP.

Oh my. I didn't mean to leave it so long between posts!

Inspiration has finally struck for my doors and windows piece for textilechallenges, although the deadline has been and gone, so I've just set my own one and hope to enter it into an EG competition in September (If I keep my nerve!). Its becoming a work in slow progress as I'm having trouble with time and energy at the moment. It appears I may be borderline anemic
Its been inspired by the doorway to the city walls (ramparts) literally just down the road from my flat.


Its going to be "a doorway to creativity" - So, I will have a door surround, the scene behind the door, and an actual door that can be opened.

And I found the perfect door:
and hinges while in the lake district - more about that to follow!

This is the work in progress so far. Its on a backing of muslin. There is a layer underneath of craft vilene - I'm not sure if it is pelmet vilene - which I have constructed the background out of.I've cut holes out which are the stonework of the doorway and I have have painted it with some fabric paint to be grey/silver/pearly white colours.
Over the top is some silver covered mesh fabric I got in the remanents bin at the fabric shop.
All the stonework is going to be done in french knots - yes, I've finally conquered them! - The outer edge and inner edge in the darker grey and all the stones will be in the lighter grey.
This is a close up of the piece where you can see the different parts I've mentioned.For the centre part of this I am thinking of cutting and turning it to the back so it becomes a frame for the abstract central piece I will do once this is finished.

Now, I have to get on with this as I have inchies and beads to make for textilechallenges too!Am just hoping I don't lose my nerve!This is the most advanced an complicated piece I've done so far!

Bet you wish you had one like this!

I swear, I could make a fortune cloning my partner!

Inspiration finally hit for the doors and windows challenge for textilechallenges but with not much time left on it - and for two of the main colours I have no where near enough of the exactly right shades of thread left.

So, he went to the embroidery shop Viking Loom, which he will normally avoid like the plague and got the threads I needed - even colour matching as well as he could one of them due to the fact I don't know where I got the thread so I couldn't get the same make! He got it as close as anyone was likely to get it! He even checked two different shops before getting it to check he couldn't get a closer match!

Am so proud and pleased with him! Did I mention he's on holiday at the moment and was supposed to be spending his time doing him things?!

Thankyou

Thanks to everyone who got in touch about my recent post.

I've found a short term part time job doing some data input, and I've a couple of others in view to apply for.

I've managed to lose 8 pounds so far with my diet. Am at 192 and my next mini goal is 180. Overall I need to get down to around 140.

I've not done much crafting this week. I just haven't been in the right head space. Shall see what I can do over the next week.

A public apology

I am aware I have been letting some people down recently. This is entirely my fault, mainly due to over commiting myself to things.

This is my own fault and I have no real excuse for having done so. On the lists I am on I am months behind on one swap, I've not kept in touch with good friends I haven't done my art meme, I owe someone who showed me a kindness a squishy and I forgot to pay someone some money I owed them. I let the job I was doing and my personal issues override other peoples feelings and for that I am sorry.

This is partly due to my just not getting things done, and partly due to the shock to my system that my first job in some time was. I am not using it as an excuse but my ongoing battle with depression can lead me to unwittingly - and often without realising - avoid things.

I know that it is inexcusable and all I can do is ask for forgiveness and that you stick with me while I try and remedy some of this?

Marigold Sketchbook page 1

I've started a sketchbook for a series of projects I want to do based on my aunts narrow boat which we holidayed on last year.
The first piece I've looked at is this name plate:

This is on the door of the boat. The design is made up of marigolds and forget me nots.


This is my sketchbook page for ideas for this . I 've included photos from around the boat showing the marigold motif.In most of the page I have done pencil sketches with ideas for stitches to make up the marigolds and forget me nots. I've then lettered each one.

At the bottom of the page I've done a quick sketch of what stitches i plan to do where.

Then i did a small piece of samples to look at how the stitches would actually look.
This is my idea for the main larger marigolds. Its silk ribbon and I have three shades of orange i plan to use.
This is orange perle bullion knot marigold that i plan to use for some of the smaller marigolds

And for the small marigolds I plan to use these. On this you can also see the little beaded forget me nots I am going to - and i think the blue brings the orange up nicely.

I will post more photos of this project as it progresses.

Some Bad News/Good News and a Textural Piece

The bad news is that my temp assignment ended early.....the good news is that this means I can get on with some stitching and actually have time to blog...

Also, in other news I've joined Sparkpeople and have started losing some weight.

This is the start of my my textural 'encrusted calico' piece. This was inspired by this article at the Stitch site. Thier example is in neutrals but I've never been very good at neutral tones so have gone with warmer oranges, browns and yellows - a more autumnal theme?

This is a washer trapped in the fabric with whipped stitching over the top.
This is a curtain ring with straight stitches and loose french knots.
This is a button trapped and held in place with french knots.
This is a wooden dowelling with a woven darning stitch over the top and yet more french knots!

I will show some more progress on this piece soon.